She'd done so much for him since she'd returned and had only asked for help this one time. He was no kind of man that deserved someone like her. He called himself a few choice names.Jerkbeing at the top of his list. So what if it caused him some pain to help her out? If he was any type of man, he would buck up and deal with it.
Nate pressed the screen of his phone to call her back. It rang several times before she answered.
"I'm sorry." He knew she knew it was him. That was undoubtedly why it had taken her so long to answer.
"It's okay. I understand you're busy."
"No, it wasn't that." Nate rubbed his forehead. "When were you thinking of going?"
"Please don't worry about it, Nate. I shouldn't have presumed. I trust that your friend will help me out."
"Lily." Nate said her name through clenched teeth. "When were you thinking of going?"
Silence.
"Lily, just tell me when you want to go."
"My schedule is pretty wide open. I thought whenever it was convenient for you."
"Meet me at Midtown in an hour."
"An hour?"
"Yes. Is that a problem?" Nate just wanted to get this over with.
"No. No. I'll be there."
"Okay. See you then."
After ending the call, Nate pushed back from his desk andshoved a hand through his hair. He knew he was doing the right thing, but the knot in his stomach made it difficult for him to appreciate that fact.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Lily set her phone down on the bed and took a deep breath. Having realized several days ago that Nate was avoiding her, she hadn't known how else to get hold of him. She had thought about just waiting up for him one night to try to talk to him. But something still held her back.
Three years was a long time to be apart, and she knew that they had both changed. She was no longer the young girl who had relied on him for so much. Even her wanting to get a car was a sign of how she'd changed. Back then, he'd driven her most places she'd needed to go. She'd just arranged her life around when he was available to take her. If she did have to go somewhere when he hadn’t been available, she'd driven Gran's old car or borrowed Jessa's. She hadn’t even bothered to buy a car even though she could have afforded one.
He had been her world, but three years without him had taught her to fend for herself and to grow up.
Nate had always been reserved. Most of the girlfriends Lily had back then teased her about picking the boring boy to date. None had realized that to her, he was anything but. When it was just the two of them or if they were with hisparents, they’d had fun. They liked the same kind of movies and television shows. They'd loved to watch B-movies and see who could figure out the plot twists before they happened. Or watch horror movies and try to guess the order people were going to stupidly die.
She’d love the times they’d sat around the fire pit in his parents’ backyard roasting marshmallows. Nate had always done hers, taking the time to make sure it was roasted to golden perfection before making her a s’more. Though she knew she wasn’t high on his priority list, when he did have time, he was there focused on her. It was those moments that had kept her with him, hoping that in years to come, they would become the norm rather than the exception.
Lily had loved that though Nate rarely smiled around others, when he saw her, he always had. Their gazes could meet across a distance and he would always...always...smile at her. Even if it was just a quick lift of one corner of his mouth.
Ending things with him had devastated her because she knew that no one else would ever know her heart the way he did. They’d had a connection she wouldn't—and didn't want—to share with any other man. But before she could be completely at peace about asking for a second chance, Lily needed to know that he knew what she did about her diagnosis and made any decision with that knowledge.
She pushed to her feet, wishing she had the time to redo her hair and make-up, but she was lucky she had enough time to change. Knowing the day was warm, Lily chose an outfit that would keep her cool. She settled on a turquoise sleeveless shirtwaist dress with a slightly flared skirt.
After smoothing her hair with her brush, Lily sat on the edge of the bed to put her shoes on. She'd chosen a pair of white gladiator-style sandals that fit tightly to her feet and ankles. Gone were the days of loose fitting sandals or even flip-flops for any place but home. Any shoe she wore now had to fit securely in case she didn't lift her foot enough.
She picked up a bottle of perfume from the nightstandand dabbed a little on her wrists. It was the same scent she'd worn for years. It had also been Nate's favorite. She had no idea what he would think of the subtle_or perhaps not so subtle_way she was acknowledging their past.
Lily went to the open door of Jessa and Lance's suite and peeked in. "Hey, Jessa, can I borrow your car?"
Jessa looked up from where she was nursing the baby. "My car? Sure." She tilted her head. "You look very pretty. What's the occasion?"
Lily took a quick breath. "I'm meeting Nate to look at cars."
